Although it might not feel like it in NJ it's almost the end of February. We've been teased with some 60 degree days which got me thinking about my garden & planting for the upcoming season.

I found this useful plant calendar for your vegetable garden. You simply enter a location in the field & out pops a calendar with 30 of the most common vegetables & when to plant (indoor or outdoor) and harvest.Link: The Old Farmer's Almanac Planting Calendar

February & roses go hand in hand for Valentine's Day, however the rose is not the flower for this month - it's the Violet and Primrose.

The Primrose lets someone know you can't live without them. They are not related to the rose. These plants are colorful perennials that are among the 1st to bloom in early Spring. They're easy to grow and low maintenance. They like a little shade with moist soil. Dried primrose can be used to make teas & the young leaves are edible.References:http://www.almanac.com/content/february-birth-flowershttps://funflowerfacts.com/2013/02/18/fun-flower-facts-primrose/

The violet is the state flower of New Jersey (as well as Rhode Island & Illinois). There are about 400-500 species of violets and have been around since ancient Greece. The plant is edible and contains high amounts of Vitamin C & antioxidants. Violets like a little shade with moist soil. The violet signifies watchfulness, loyalty & faithfulness. References :http://www.teleflora.com/blog/7-fun-facts-about-violets/http://www.almanac.com/content/february-birth-flowershttp://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/morepopularflowers/violets

January is the month to plan & dream about your garden. Start with a wish list - but keep it manageable to avoid feeling overwhelmed in the Spring. Select 5 items from your wish list & focus on those items in 2017.

Marigolds are such cheerful flowers providing colors summer through fall. Marigolds are a sign of warm or fierce undying love. There are over 50 species of marigolds. They need lots of sun and do bloom better in poor soil.In the 60's Burpee's President campaigned to have the marigold named the national flower, but the rose won out. Use the bright petals give spicy tang to summer salads.

Reminders - now is the time to divide some perennials. To find out when & how to divide perennials check out this article from Better Homes & Gardens

April's birth flower is the daisy- it conveys loyal love, innocence, and purity.

The daisy always seems like a happy flower. Well they make me happy.

Some interesting things about the daisy:*The leaves of a daisy are edible; *Daisies are found all over the world except for Antartica;*The daisy is really 2 flowers in one; the white petals count as one flower and the yellow petals in the center are a second flower.Source: The Old Farmers Almanac & TheFlowerExpert.com

Spring is upon us, what kind of flowers are blooming in your garden? I have daffodils & crocus

Why do we give roses to our Valentine? During the Victorian era flowers were used to send secret messages. Known as floriography, sending flowers was a common way for lovers & secret admirers to express secret messages that Victorian etiquette deemed unacceptable to share openly. Red roses typically meant love and romance and have a symbol of passion for many cultures through the ages.

The rose was sacred to many goddess including Isis of Egypt, and the ancient Greeks & Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love, Aphrodite & Venus.

January’s birth flower, the carnation, comes in several different colors to convey different meanings, much like roses. A pink carnation means affection, while a red carnation means ‘I love you.’ White carnations mean pure love, striped carnations means regret that a love is not shared, and yellow means rejection or disappointment. The other January flower is the snowdrop, which used to be considered bad luck due to the fact that it would always seem to appear to grow in graveyards. Nowadays, it signifies hope and beauty. Source: The Old Farmers Almanac

We were also showcased by the Brick Township for our Club's work decorating one of the Township's Christmas Trees. Check out the pictures of our tree as well as other trees decorated by different organizations in Brick.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Looking forward to you everyone in 2016.

You can't beat this fabulous weather. It's hard to believe it's December. However, we were all in the holiday spirit during our Holiday Party at Simko's. Great food, great friends & great conversation. It was so nice to have everyone together & just be able to enjoy the evening with yummy food. Check out the pictures here.

This is our last meeting of 2015. Where did the year go? We're in full Fall swing & Winter quickly approaching, the next several months are usually slow for most gardeners. To help keep us going until Spring come to our November meeting on Monday Nov. 9th at 7pm to hear one of our own members, Audrey Maihack speak about her garden in River Vale, NJ. Her garden has been featured in the Open Days Garden Conservancy Program. Her garden features ponds, trellises, perennials, flowering shrubs and evergreens.​ Click here for directions to the Bob Anstett Cultural Arts Center.